TLDR · SCIENCE & FUTURISTIC TECHNOLOGY

SPACEX JUST LAUNCHED THE 1ST-EVER NUCLEAR-POWERED COMMERCIAL SATELLITE

space.com4 min read

Summary from the TLDR newsletter

The BOHR (Betavoltaic Orbital High-Reliability) satellite is a commercially built nuclear-powered cubesat created by Florida-based company City Labs. It was designed to test the company's proprietary NanoTritium betavoltaic micropower source in space for the first time. The NanoTritium device harnesses beta particles emitted from the radioactive decay of tritium and converts them directly into electricity using a semiconductor. It is meant to provide continuous power to spacecraft without a reliance on solar energy.